| WAA Form | Past Simple (Long) | Past Simple (short) | Present Habitual | Present Progressive | Future |
| WAAN | AHAA | AA | AHAY | AHAANAYAA | AHAAN DOONAA |
| WAAD | AHAYD | AYD | TAHAY | AHAANAYSAA | AHAAN DOONTAA |
| WUU | AHAA | AA | YAHAY | AHAANAYAA | AHAAN DOONAA |
| WEY | AHAYD | AYD | TAHAY | AHAANAYSAA | AHAAN DOONTAA |
| WAANNU | AHAYN | AYN | NAHAY | AHAANAYNAA | AHAAN DOONNAA |
| WEYDIN/WAAD | AHAYDEEN | AYDEEN | TIHIIN | AHAANAYSAAN | AHAAN DOONTAAN |
| WEY | AHAAYEEN | AYEEN | YIHIIN | AHAANAYAAN | AHAAN DOONAAN |
IMPERATIVE FORMS:
Singular: Ahow/ahaw Be!
Plural: Ahaada You all be!
INFINITIVE FORM:
AHAAN
Here comes the crazy part.....comparing the Present Habitual with Past Simple
| Present Habitual | English | Past Simple | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waan fiicanahay | I am well | Waan fiicnaa | I was well |
| Waan ladnahay | I am well | Waan ladnaa | I was well |
| Waan buuranahay | I am fat | Waan buurnaa | I was fat |
| Waan dhuubanahay | I am slim | Waan dhuubnaa | I was thin |
| Waan dheerahay | I am tall | Waan dheeraa | I was tall |
| Waan weynahay | I am big | Waan weynaa | I was big |
| Waan gaabanahay | I am short | Waan gaabnaa | I was short |
| Waan xumahay | I am bad | Waan xumaa | I was bad ** |
| Waad xuntahay | You are bad | Waad xumayd | You were bad ** |
** Don't forget there are some sound changes**
XUN becomes XUM when a vowel+consonant suffix is added
Vowel Loss occurs for some adjectives ending in "an" when used in the past simple with the short form of "AHOW"
(does not apply to adjectives ending in "san")
ex:
Fiican ==> Fiicn
Ladan ==> Ladn
Gaaban ==> Gaabn
Dhuuban ==> Dhuubn
Buuran ==> Buurn
| DECLARATIVE | EXISTENTIALS |
|---|---|
| Waa guri weyn | Gurigu wuu weynyahay |
| It is a big house | The house is big |
| Waa meel qabow | Meeshu wey qabowdahay |
| It is a cold place | The place is cold |
| Waa ardey cusub | Ardeyga wuu cusubyahay |
| It is a new student | The student is new |
| Waa baabuur cad | Baabuurka wuu cadyahay |
| It is a white car | The car is white |
Existentials versus Declaratives: Comparing the past and present
Guriga wuu weynaa The house was big
Guriga wuu weynahay The house is big
Guri weyn buu ahaa It was a big house
Guri weyn buu yahay It is a big house
Duulimadku wuu fiicnaa The flight was nice
Duulimadku wuu fiicanyahay The flight is nice
Duulimad fiican buu ahaa It was a nice flight
Duulimad fiican buu yahay It is a nice flight
Casharka wuu adkaa (adag+ahaa) The lesson was difficult
Casharka wuu adagyahay The lesson is difficult
Cashar adag buu ahaa It was a difficult lesson
Cashar adag buu yahay It is a difficult lesson
Casharka wuu fududaa The lesson was easy
Casharka wuu fududyahay The lesson is easy
Cashar fudud buu ahaa It was an easy lesson
Cashar fudud buu yahay It is an easy lesson
When making an adjectival statement, you must use to conjugated verb "AHOW"
Waan fiicanahay I am fine
Wuu fiicanyahay He is fine
Waad gaabantahay You are short
Wey gaajeeysanyihiin They are hungry
You must pay attention to the gender
Inanku wuu wanaagsanyahay The boy is good
Inantu wey wanaagsantahay The girl is good
Ninku wuu wanaagsanyahay The man is good
Naagtu wey wanaagsantahay The woman is good
EXAMPLES:
Macallin wanaagsan baan ahay. I am a good teacher.
Macallin wanaagsan baad tahay. You are a good teacher.
Macallin wanaagsan buu yahay. He is a good teacher.
Macallin wanaagsan bey tahay. She is a good teacher.
Macallimiin wanaagsan baannu nahay. We are good teachers.
Macallimiin wanaagsan beydin tihiin. You all are good teachers.
Macallimiin wanaagsan bey yihiin. They are good teachers.
Hi, i have just come across your blog. Intresting choice your blog name! Somali hell! (in English) and “Soomaali hel” in Somali meaning “find Somali!” (in reference to the language in this context), which is appropriate for a blog about “learning Somali”! And i hope you find it easy learning!!
ReplyDeleteAbout “the verbal / pre-verbal / dependent pronouns”, for the second person plural in the positive sentence is “ayda or aydu” on one hand, on the other hand it is the same as the singular second “aad”, so “waa + 2nd person plural = wayda / waydu / waad”.
On your table, you have “waydin” (waa + aydin “ayd + in”), it is used in the negation rather than positive sentences. I think it’s a common mistake! Anyhow, pleasant learning! (Barasho wanaagsan!).
P.s.: Come and visit my blog, you may find it as a reading material, useful!
http://afbeeg-suugaan.blogspot.com/
(Jirid Af)
Oh, curious, I thought the negation was maydin. Is it a dialect thing? I am VERY new to this language. My teacher explained that I can use Waad or waydin for 2nd person plural, but for beginners, he suggested using "waydin" so we wouldn't be "too" confused LOL.
ReplyDelete@Just me.
ReplyDeleteMeaning wise it is the same, and all is in standard Somali. The difference is in “the head particles”
“Waa” is a focus particle of verb “to be” equational, and so it connects between known information and its attributive, so it focuses NOMINALLY. In the positive verbal sentences, verbal pronouns can be left out if the subject of the verb is clear in the context.
However, in the negative and intrerrogative contexts, VERBAL PRONOUNS ARE OBLIGATORY.
“Ma” is a focus particle of unknown or uncertain information, hence it is for interrogatives. Or unfulfilled actions (negations). It focuses VERBALLY. So it is NOT OBLIGATORY to use verbal pronouns as long as the subject is clear from the context.
Example:
Waydin qaadanin = ( you “plural” did not take it / have not taken it).
Maydin qaadanin / Ma qaadanin (same as above).